1 The Holy See, also called the Vatican, is a country founded by and for the Roman Catholic Church. For hundreds of years, the Vatican has been the center of Catholicism worldwide. It is from the Vatican that the pope holds authority over the Catholic Church. It is also where many decisions about the day-to-day practice of Catholicism are made.2 Obviously, the Vatican is a very religious city. So any study of the Vatican's culture will require some knowledge of Catholicism. Catholicism is a Christian religion dating back many hundreds of years, to a time shortly after the death of Jesus Christ. Roman Catholicism -- the part of Catholicism ruled by the Vatican -- is directed by a man called the pope. There has been a long line of popes dating back many hundreds of years. According to Roman Catholics, the first leader of the Catholic Church was a man named Peter, who worked alongside Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Peter was crucified and buried on the grounds of the modern-day Vatican.3 About 300 years after Peter was executed, Rome's first Christian emperor, Constantine, ordered that a basilica be built over Peter's execution and burial site. This huge church stood for about 1,000 years before it was replaced. The modern-day St. Peter's Basilica was built in the 15th century. The building of this basilica required a lot of work by many people -- many of them were master architects, builders, and painters.